Good idea or bad idea?

[Coffee]

Most likely, I will be teaching high school next fall(I don't have a job yet, but a lot of irons in the fire, and I am a male English teacher, which bodes well for my chances). I am starting to think about what to write for my rules and policies, and I am considering making the following sentence one of my rules:

I do not tolerate niggardly behavior in this classroom.

I want to do this because what I really don't tolerate in my classroom is ignorance, and I think this would be a good way to demonstrate that. But...maybe this isn't a great idea, due to the possible uproar. What do y'all think?

[MrMon]

I know what you're trying to do, but that's just asking for it. Sometimes it's best not to kick a sleeping Rotweiller, even if it did pee on the carpet.

[Sniper]

Coffee, if a student asks a silly question in class, will you affix a post-it note to their forehead that they must wear in all their classes for the rest of the school year?

[MrWookie]

MrMon speaks the truth here. I wouldn't write this until I'd built up a pretty good rapport/seniority/etc. at the school.

[Blarg]

What the hell are you thinking? Niggardly means stingy, not ignorant. Are you trying to take this one step beyond dangerous by being misleadingly ironic? It looks like you are steaming for a fight. It's not always best to prove you're smarter than everybody in the room. Maybe if God was cutting your paycheck or something, but not some gunshy school board.

[diebitter]

Errrr, I don't think that word means what you think it means.


I think I'd like to see an word of the day thread, with people's favourite/unusual words. With the right definitions, obv.

[Blarg]

From dictionary.com
[ QUOTE ]
nig·gard·ly /ˈnɪgərdli/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[nig-erd-lee] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–adjective
1. reluctant to give or spend; stingy; miserly.
2. meanly or ungenerously small or scanty: a niggardly tip to a waiter.
–adverb
3. in the manner of a niggard.
[Origin: 1520–30; niggard + -ly]

—Related forms
nig·gard·li·ness, noun

—Synonyms 1. penurious, miserly, mean, tight, avaricious, mercenary, illiberal, close. 2. poor.
—Antonyms 1. generous.
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

[/ QUOTE ]

[context]

Regardless of what mistakes people will make about the meaning of the word, what do you think you're going to achieve?

[katyseagull]

I would advise against it. In our culture words take on a life of their own. It doesn't matter what the original intent of the word was, it has morphed into something of a naughty joke. Should you have to censor yourself based on the ignorance of others? No. But if you want to keep your job you may want to consider it. School boards and principals are notoriously inept. They care about their image and will kowtow to the vocal minority even if that minority is uneducated. I assume you want to keep this job for a while?

[diebitter]

Sorry Blarg

I wasn't actually replying to you, I was replying to OP. You were of course correct.